Nelson Aspen Thrills at Sold-Out Don't Tell Mama Show, With Special Guest Anita Gillette

Nelson Aspen and Anita Gillette at Don't Tell Mama on October 2, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen

International entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen performed at Don't Tell Mama in New York City on Friday night for the first time in nearly 30 years. He brought back the music director from his '80s show, Gerry Dieffenbach, and created a fantastic night of music, comedy and showbiz scoops.

From his performances of everything from "Herb the Verb" and "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" to "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together" and "Love Is All Around" (Theme Song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Aspen packed the evening with pop culture references that made the crowd cheer with laughter and joy. The audience absolutely loved singing along to "Three's Company, Too"!

Aspen's special guest was the Tony nominated Anita Gillette (Mona the mistress in Moonstruck, Tina Fey's mother in 30 Rock et al). Three decades after they met working on Search for Tomorrow, Aspen brought Gillette on stage for a story about working with Ethel Merman in "Gypsy" on Broadway, and a showstopping number that proved why she's the best cabaret performer in New York. Note: Gillette will next play Nick Offerman's mother in a Huntington Theatre Company production of "A Confederacy of Dunces" in Boston.

One of the packed room's favorite moments was when Aspen sang "You Take Me Away (to Another World)," with Dieffenbach playing Crystal Gayle to his Gary Morris during the chorus of the Another World theme song. It received extra loud cheers from the large assemblage of former Another World staffers who reunited to attend the show.

Linda Dano Joins Cast of New Series From Janet Iacobuzio & Nelson Aspen

Nelson Aspen and Janet Iacobuzio celebrate Linda Dano joining their
new series with co-star Anna Holbrook.

News that will surely delight TV fans: much loved Emmy winning actor, author, designer, presenter extraordinaire Linda Dano is joining the all-star cast of Janet Iacobuzio and Nelson Aspen's new series. While mystery continues to shroud the specifics of the project, its creators assure us it will be worth the wait.

"We have the best talent in the business on board," Nelson says. "So we're making sure everything is perfect before we launch. Our cast and their fans deserve nothing less!"

Dano is best known for her 16 and a half year run as Felicia Gallant on NBC daytime drama Another World. Her other soap roles include Rae Cummings on One Life to Live, General Hospital, All MY Children and Port Charles; Cynthia Haines on As the World Turns; Lena Kendall on Guiding Light; and Francine Williams on Desperate Housewives.

For a sneak peek of the new series, check out the teaser below:

Sneak Peek: First Footage from Upcoming Janet Iacobuzio & Nelson Aspen Series Released

From left to right: Anne Howard, Nelson Aspen, Stephen Schnetzer,
Colleen Zenk, Ryan Brown and Anna Holbrook.

The first footage from the upcoming Janet Iacobuzio and Nelson Aspen series has been released. While the sneak peek doesn't give much away, it does give us a glance at some of the beloved soap opera stars in the cast, including Colleen Zenk (As the World Turns), Anna Holbrook (Another World), Anna Stuart (Another World, The Doctors, All My Children), David Forsyth (Another World, Search for Tomorrow), Marcia McCabe (Search for Tomorrow, One Life to Live, Another World, As the World Turns), Stephen Schnetzer (Another World, As the World Turns, Days of our Lives, One Life to Live), Alice Barrett Mitchell (Another World), Anne Howard (Another World, Days of our Lives), Denise Pence (Guiding Light) and Ryan Brown (The Young and the Restless, Guiding Light).

The cast also includes Marc McClure (Superman I, Superman II, Supergirl, Apollo 13, Back to the Future), Amy Freeze (ABC Eyewitness News) and Yvonne Goutman, the daughter of Marcia McCabe and Christopher Goutman.

Watch the sneak peek teaser below:

'Another World' Stars Anna Stuart and Alice Barrett Mitchell Join Upcoming Janet Iacobuzio and Nelson Aspen Series

Anna Stuart (left) and Alice Barrett Mitchell (right) with Nelson Aspen.

Two more loved and missed sirens of the soap world are joining the cast of the new series coming from Janet Iacobuzio and Nelson Aspen: Alice Barrett Mitchell and Anna Stuart.

"I never got to work with these talented ladies during my stint at Another World, so we're making up for lost time," says Nelson. "I actually first fell for Anna when she was a temporary recast as Vanessa Chamberlain on Guiding Light, so that's how long I've been a fan!"

Janet agrees, "It's a dream come true to work with Anna and Alice again [after Another World]. What pros!" Alice just filmed an episode of Donny Deutsch's upcoming comedy series, Donny. Anna is practically a newlywed after marrying award winning actor James Cromwell in 2014.

They join an impressive cast of Daytime vets for this project, including Colleen Zenk, Anna Holbrook, Ryan Brown, David Forsyth, Marcia McCabe, Stephen Schnetzer and Denise Pence. Watch this space for all the latest news on this exciting venture.

Check out more pictures of Nelson with Anna and Alice below:

Happy 40th Anniversary, Courtney and Peter Simon!

Nelson Aspen, Courtney Simon and Peter Simon enjoyed catching up
over the weekend. Photo Credit: @nelsonaspen

Today's Soap History column included the wedding of Search for Tomorrow co-stars Peter Simon (Scott) and Courtney Sherman (Kathy), which took place 40 years ago today. Simon went on to star as Ian McFarland in As the World Turns before a long run as Ed Bauer on Guiding Light. Sherman appeared in and/or wrote for a number of other soaps, most notably As the World Turns.

We Love Soaps contributor and international entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen caught up with the Simons at an event over the weekend, and it looks like they still as happy as they were in 1975. Nelson's mentor was daytime legend Mary Stuart (Jo on SFT, Meta on GL) so, of course, she was on their minds. Nelson still uses Mary's omelet pan, and they use the porcelain casserole dish she gave them as a wedding gift. Happy 40th, Courtney and Peter!

Speaking of Nelson, he is working on a wonderful new web series with longtime soap writer Janet Iacobuzio‎ (most recently at Days of our Lives). I have been sworn to secrecy but soap fans are definitely in for a treat. Look for more on that in the near future.

New Series From Janet Iacobuzio & Nelson Aspen Coming in 2015

Nelson Aspen and Janet Iacobuzio.

Some of the biggest names in the history of Daytime Television will reunite for a new series from the creative minds of Emmy-winning soap scribe Janet Iacobuzio and entertainment media-hyphenate Nelson Aspen. A major social media campaign will be launching in 2015 which includes many of the most talented and best loved professionals in the genre. This exciting, ground breaking project will not only honor the history of soaps, but celebrate the interactive opportunities of today.

The show is expected to premiere next summer and fans will be able to participate in all the creativity and celebration. Stay tuned for news, sneak peeks and exclusive behind-the-scenes exclusives in the months ahead as Janet & Nelson begin to unveil the Stars & Stories you've been longing to see!

Meantime, if you're in the NYC area, mark your calendar for Nelson's personal appearance to promote his scoop-tastic new book, "My Prime Time": Tues. December 2, 7 p.m. - Jack Rabbit Sports; 140 West 72 Street NYC or order the book right now at Amazon.com. You're sure to recognize many of the "Prime Time" Players!

RELATED:
- Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio

New Nelson Aspen, Janet Iacobuzio Projects in the Works

Nelson Aspen tweeted a photo of Janet Iacobuzio
on Wednesday captioned, "Toasting a new TV project."

It looks like entertainment reporter and We Love Soaps contributor Nelson Aspen has a new mysterious, top secret series in the works with writer Janet Iacobuzio, recently the subject of our "Catching Up" interview series. Aspen and Iacobuzio go way back to the glory days of Procter & Gamble soap operas so I asked him if this upcoming project has a soapie edge. He would only say, in true continuing drama style, to "STAY TUNED!"

With their history, and based on the recent fascinating interview, there may not be a better team around to breathe new life into the genre.

"We not only know where all the bodies are buried," Aspen teased, "we have their phone numbers!"

RELATED:
- Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 1 of 3)
- Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 2 of 3)
- Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 3 of 3)

Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 3 of 3)

Nelson Aspen and Janet Iacobuzio talk soaps past
and present, including fun nights watching Dynasty.

Okay, Janet and I are sufficiently wine-fueled, so it's time for the Main Course. A fascinating Insider's look at how Soaps are written. Bon appetit!

In case you missed it, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.

NA: Having worked on so many different shows, you're the perfect person to answer this. How does one show differ from another or is there simply a basic formula for writing Daytime?
JI: The basic formula is this: head writer(s) write the story arc, not so much in advance anymore (they used to write these huge documents which of course no one ever followed, but they wrote 'em. Usually!). They break it down into a "thrust" for a week of air shows. All head writers are different. Some write bullet points, some write the whole thing, basically. This goes to the breakdown writers who then break the beats down to scenes, written in prose form. This doc is usually 18-22 pages, double spaced. Days is a teaser plus seven acts. Every show is a bit different, depending on the commercial structure of the program (figure around 39 minutes of air time, maybe a little less. Used to be 42 or 43). The breakdowns then get noted by production and the network.

Back when there was a Procter & Gamble, we had notes from the execs there as well. Once they are revised, the breakdowns then go to the script writers who write the dialogue from the outlines/breakdowns, 85 pages or so. Then an editor reads all of the scripts, tries to make them all sound like they come from the same brain and adds or removes anything the head writers or producers have told him/her about. These days, 7 scripts a week get written/produced. In the old days, maybe 4 or 5. It's all about saving money now. There were something like 20 shows on the air when I was interning at Edge. There are 4 left.

(Sad Faces!)

NA: Chris Goutman described each show as having its own personality and fan base. Speak to that from your experience on so many different shows.

Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 2 of 3)

One of the most famous scripts written by Janet Iacobuzio was the
Bianca Montgomery coming out episode on All My Children.

By now, we were a glass of wine into our meal and the memories were all flooding back! Enjoy Part 2 of my 3 part interview with soap scribe Janet Iacobuzio, currently at Days of our Lives.

In case you missed it, you can read Part 1 here.

NA: To say we were madcap at Another World would be an understatement. I never worked on a show where the cast and crew got along so well with each other. What are you fondest memories of our days there?
JI: I don't know if I ever had more fun. We laughed ALL DAY LONG. We also worked really hard and put up with a lot of BS. And most importantly, we loved the show and we were fiercely protective of it. The Cosby Show being shot in the adjoining studio in the '80s left us with a ton of great stories about him and all the guest stars. Not everyone can say they saw Robert Culp put his foot in a tray of catering lasagna on the back stairs and nearly kill himself while running to the set. We heard him scream (and the the thump) from down the hallway. Taking "hells and damns" from the censors at NBC on the phone, the night before taping. (They'd cut a certain amount of them. They'd tell me to tell the directors not to let the sex scenes show too much. It was pro forma and ridiculous.) We used to all be fans of Santa Barbara and watch it on the monitors. Brad Pitt was an "Under Five" before he was Brad Pitt. Then we all saw Thelma & Louise and screamed. Oh, the stories I could tell. But should I???

Catching Up with Janet Iacobuzio (Part 1 of 3)

Nelson Aspen with Janet Iacobuzio.
Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen.

I first met Janet Iacobuzio when I was working on Search for Tomorrow but it wasn't until I joined the production staff at Another World that we became close pals. Huddled in our little subterranean office in the Brooklyn studio for long days, we didn't know we were enjoying what would be the last great Hey-Days of the NYC-based Soap Operas. As often happens in life, we eventually drifted apart because of time and distance...occasionally managing to reconnect through other old friends. But as you will see in this three part series, once we finally managed to sit down for a meal together, it was like no time had passed at all! A testament not only to friendship, but the unifying power of Soaps!

NA: I'd say, "We're so old, we've been around forever" but it's more like "we started so young!" We were KIDS when we started in Daytime. I've known you since SFT. Remind me what the heck it was you were doing back then in the mid-80s and how the heck did you end up there!?
JI: I had an internship during my junior year in college at The Edge of Night which was sort of a dream come true for me as that was my absolute favorite show. It was on at 4 PM which was a great time after school and then when it was over, the 4:30 movie would come on! I mean, what more could you want? Anyway, how that happened is unusual. I grew up in Westchester and in the summer of 1982, I think, my brother was working as a reporter for the local newspaper, "The Daily Item.". The Edge of Night was shooting a night time remote at Playland with a huge stunt on the Dragon Coaster. I was out of my mind. My brother was assigned the story and pulled some strings - he brought me along as his staff photographer. Two of my photos were published with his front page story and I think of that to this day as a crowning achievement.